KINGSTON, Jamaica — Health Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton on Monday, said construction has started on the cancer treatment centres that will be at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James and the St Joseph’s hospital in Kingston.

Tufton, who was on a visit to the Christie NHS Foundation Trust’s oncology centre in the United Kingdom, explained that it was important to get a firsthand look at oncology treatment as his ministry prepares to commission linear accelerators at the cancer treatment centres.

“Construction on both cancer treatment centres have started and it is expected that the center in Montego Bay will be opened in the fourth quarter of this financial year. Equipment for each site includes one linear accelerator, one CT simulator, one C-arm mobile x-ray unit and one brachytherapy machine with treatment planning system and related quality assurance equipment,” he explained.

Tufton noted that partnerships in public health include the sharing of technical expertise and the Christie oncology centre, as the leading experts in cancer care, research and education in Manchester, will help to better commission these potentially lifesaving equipment.

Under the National Strategic and Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, the Government has set a target to reduce the number of premature deaths attributable to chronic diseases including cancer by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

The minister went to the UK to discuss best practices as it relates to oncology treatment and the visit formed part of his overall plan to seek technical cooperation in several areas in public health including oncology.